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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

How often do you clean...

79 replies

Iammum1990 · 18/04/2021 17:19

I have just moved house and want to try to keep it in a good standard and keep on top of cleaning.
How often do you...
Hoover the carpets
Mop the floor
Clean toilets
Clean dishwasher
Clean washing machine
Cut grass
Change bedsheets
Dust
Clean bathroom/toilet
Clean oven
Clean fridge
Any others I am missing?

OP posts:
1678bfj7 · 18/04/2021 21:24

How often do you...
Hoover the carpets - Once a week (but use the mini dyson on the kitchen/dining room crumbs daily)
Mop the floor - Once a week
Clean toilets - Once to twice a week
Clean dishwasher - ??? Maybe twice, in its life?
Clean washing machine - When my DM comes and visits and does it, or when a weird brown sludge starts staining our clothes.
Cut grass - In Spring/Summer about fortnightly
Change bedsheets - Fortnightly at least, in winter, but weekly in warmer months.
Dust - Weekly
Clean bathroom/toilet - Weekly
Clean oven - Our new cleaning company charge extra for this, so not in about 1 year, but our old cleaner did it every 6 months/1 year
Clean fridge - Every 2 months probably

We have a weekly cleaner for 3 hours, plus a monthly gardener (DH likes to potter in the garden but doesn't have time to do it regularly). House pretty much only gets cleaned when cleaners come every week, or when visitors are expected.

1678bfj7 · 18/04/2021 21:27

Extras - polishing silver: I make DC do it as a fun activity on a rainy holiday.

Also get the cleaners to do a 'deep clean' a couple of times a year when they really attack the grout etc. Not really sure what they do, but it involves toothbrushes.

BlueLobelia · 18/04/2021 21:30

@Ihatesandwiches

I've been using The organised mum method for a few years now and it's great. House is tidy and relatively clean and I don't stress about cleaning any more!
I started this a few weeks back and it has made all the difference in the world to my home. DH has hoarding tendencies and we have alot of clutter but I finally feel like my home is clean and relatively tidy. It does not take too long either.
StillUpholding · 18/04/2021 21:46

Do you do all that and hold down a full time job and does your partner share this work equally?

I do 35 hours over 4 days and DH does 40+ over 5 and sometimes has to do weekend overtime. When I went back after mat leave we agreed on division of labour. I do all the cleaning which takes 2-3 hours a week, and a load of laundry most mornings. DH does nearly all cooking (most weeks I only cook one night) and whoever cooks escapes the clean up. DH does 90% nursery pick ups/drop offs, most DIY or dealing with tradesmen, the gardening (sometimes i potter a bit), bin emptying, cat litter trays and anything car related. Shopping is probably 50/50. He tidies up after himself except his socks, puts his clean clothes away, and will run the hoover over if he’s made a mess etc. He will do some of my jobs if I’m working overtime or under the weather or whatever and vice versa. They are more traditional male/female roles than younger me thought we’d end up with but it works for us and I feel like I have plenty of leisure time.

QpopTYUIop9 · 18/04/2021 22:03

For those of you with steam mops, any recommendations?

QueenPaw · 18/04/2021 22:07

I live alone, with a cat and I'm a "clean as you see it" type with the occasional burst of energy at 11pm. I try to do 20-30 mins a day

Hoover the carpets - living room daily, everything else weekly (cat drags litter everywhere!
Mop the floor - er. Don't own a mop. Hoover the kitchen floor, wipe up spills as they happen
Clean toilets - probably every other day? As they need it
Clean dishwasher - don't have one
Clean washing machine - do what? No. Sometimes run a very hot wash with no powder and some towels in
Cut grass - maintained by building
Change bedsheets - weekly
Dust - when I see it!
Clean bathroom/toilet - the shower weekly, the bath after I use it so less often
Clean oven - pay someone. It's like £25
Clean fridge - never. It has liners in and if I spill something I wipe it there and then

RoseMartha · 18/04/2021 22:16

Hoover - once a week unless urgent in between, I have only two carpets the rest are hard floors or tiles or Lino which also get hoovered at this point. I also empty hoover after this.

Mop floors- I mop the floors once a week and extra clean as and when necessary.

Toilet and bathroom- main clean once a week. Additional wipe overs when required. Stick extra harpic down toilet when needed.

Dishwasher - wipe under inner rim about once a week. Run a dishwasher cleaner every 4-6 weeks.

Washing machine - I run a cleaning cycle with dettol stuff once every 2-3 months.

Grass not applicable. But when I had a garden about once a fortnight.

Bedding - once a fortnight extra and when needed.

Dust - about once a week.

Oven - The hob daily. The oven when I remember or if a casserole spills over. Dont use the oven everyday.

Fridge- Every time I take meat out will clean that bit. Rest of it when I think it needs it.

Windows inside and mirrors about once a month. Unless extra needed.

Extra bits like switches and handles when I think about it.

Often forget to do things like lightshades and bathroom fan and then I look up and think Oh dear you better clean that Rose.

Kottbullar · 18/04/2021 22:50

@Bouledeneige

I'm amazed at some of the routines some of you have. Do you do all that and hold down a full time job and does your partner share this work equally?
I don't work any longer and DH works away so it's mostly me cleaning. Previously I worked 30 hours and DH was home every night we split it probs 60/40.
Kottbullar · 18/04/2021 22:50

@QpopTYUIop9

For those of you with steam mops, any recommendations?
Shark flip is brilliant.
Viviennemary · 19/04/2021 00:02

I'm exhausted even reading these never mind actually doing it all.

MirandaMarple · 19/04/2021 14:52

I was stressed about when to do things until I discovered The Organised Mum Method.

readingismycardio · 19/04/2021 15:11

Hoover the carpets weekly (no pets, no children)
Mop the floors (weekly, sometimes 3-4x especially in the kitchen)
Clean toilets (2-3x/week)
Clean dishwasher - when needed
Clean washing machine - when needed
Cut grass - when needed
Change bedsheets - weekly
Dust - pretty much everyday but not in whole house, where needed
Clean bathroom/toilet - weekly/wipe everyday
Clean oven - about every 2 months or so?
Clean fridge - once a month/when needed

OhSayWhat · 20/04/2021 03:08

@Iammum1990

I have just moved house and want to try to keep it in a good standard and keep on top of cleaning. How often do you... Hoover the carpets Mop the floor Clean toilets Clean dishwasher Clean washing machine Cut grass Change bedsheets Dust Clean bathroom/toilet Clean oven Clean fridge Any others I am missing?
Vacuum all floors every day but the Roomba does it. Mop about every three weeks and I hate it. Toilets are cleaned once a week or more. Clean the dishwasher and washing machine - once a year! Grass is done fortnightly by DH. Sheets - weekly for my bed and every 3 weeks for kids. Dust twice a week. Bathroom/showers are weekly. Oven cleaned fully every three months. Fridge is wiped out weekly.
OhSayWhat · 20/04/2021 03:15

We both work full time too but I think it takes about 30 mins for each adult each day and 15 mins for the kids (x2) including laundry and cooking with about an hour extra on the weekend for me (DH works Saturdays too). I don’t think that’s overly burdensome, but when things are kept up to date it’s easier than if things are let go for even a few days, then we have to chase our tails to catch up. Plus, we insist on the kids helping (primary age) and they are very functional at keeping their rooms tidy, putting dirty clothes in the machine, turning on washing machine, hanging clothes out, emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry etc. When they are teens I expect they might change into messy unhelpful grunters but I guess time will tell!

Pyewackect · 20/04/2021 03:17

No idea. I’ll ask my cleaner.

chatw00 · 20/04/2021 03:38

Once a week
Vacuum carpets.
Clean toilets and bathroom.
Change bedsheets.

Every 2-3 weeks
Dust

Every month-ish
Clean fridge.
Mop the floor.

Somewhere between every month and never
Clean oven.

Never
Cut grass (don't have a garden)
Clean dishwasher (sometimes will run it through on empty though)
Clean washing machine (sometimes run through some of the special descaler stuff but not really).

dayslikethese1 · 21/04/2021 17:31

Think I'm a slattern compared to most of these replies Grin Most things are done when I remember/when I notice its dirty. Only things I do loads are cleaning the toilet and wiping the kitchen sides/cupboards.

dayslikethese1 · 21/04/2021 17:33

No DC though and only 1 cat so that helps keep the mess levels low.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 24/04/2021 22:29

Hoover the carpets - daily
Mop the floor - 2-3 times a week
Clean toilets - daily
Clean dishwasher - don't have one.
Clean washing machine - I do a maintenance wash every 6-8 weeks.
Cut grass - once or twice a week between March and October
Change bedsheets - weekly
Dust - weekly or so
Clean bathroom/toilet - twice a week
Clean oven - I wipe it down after use
Clean fridge - weekly before the food shop arrives.

Theoldwoman · 14/07/2021 16:17

@Iammum1990

I have just moved house and want to try to keep it in a good standard and keep on top of cleaning. How often do you... Hoover the carpets Mop the floor Clean toilets Clean dishwasher Clean washing machine Cut grass Change bedsheets Dust Clean bathroom/toilet Clean oven Clean fridge Any others I am missing?
Vacuum - everyday Mop - once a week Toilet - daily dishwasher - once a month washing machine - every couple of months Mow the lawn- as needed change bedding - weekly in winter, twice weekly in summer Dust - as needed Clean bathroom - once a week Oven - Every few months Fridge - weekly
BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 16/07/2021 21:14

I follow The Organised Mum Method. AKA Team Tomm.

Google it….. it works!

MiniTheMinx · 16/07/2021 21:41

Can't believe how much cleaning people do. Life is too short, and I must be a minger. oh well.

Carpets...never, don't have any fitted carpets. Rugs and hard floors.
Hoover....once a week
Mop ...once a week
Change beds...once a week
Clean bathroom...once a week

Daily, clean loos, clean sides in kitchen, put washing on, tidy up.

Monthly, clean fridge, look for cobwebs, clean windows, clean cupboard fronts, dust skirting, architraves etc

Dusting, err mmm, well its a bit like a museum. So I start in one room and several weeks later I finish the last room then start again at the beginning. I wax polish all the furniture.

Oven about every three months, inside washing machine and dishwasher probably about the same.

Everything else, whatever that is, is whenever I see it needs doing.

mathanxiety · 16/07/2021 21:48

...

thelegohooverer · 17/07/2021 17:20

Hoover the carpets - once a week

Mop the floor - once a week with the swishy mop and bucket. Otherwise a quick pass with the spray mop if needed. I have a particularly horrible kitchen floor that needs a proper mopping (non slip surface = grab and hold dirt surface). I can zip around the wooden floors with the spray mop in a couple of minutes.

Clean toilets - twice a week

Clean dishwasher - almost never since I stopped letting my family load it. I do put it on with a jug of vinegar and sprinkle of bread soda a couple of times a year.

Clean washing machine - I put a cup of vinegar in with towels every week but no other cleaning. I also put detergent straight into the drum rather than through the drawer so it doesn’t get gunky.

Cut grass- once a week in summer

Change bedsheets- once a week.

Dust - when I hoover (that’s what the attachments are for) once a week

Clean bathroom/toilet - I’m always giving something a rub or a wipe when I’m in there. I switched from shared towels to face cloths when the dc started spending time in germ factories school so it’s very easy to polish the taps or wipe a mirror when I’ve dried my hands. I only do a full bathroom clean every few months or if I have a visitor coming to stay. I keep spray cleaner in the bathrooms and a roll of bin bags in each bin.

Clean oven- I bought a pyrolitic oven to avoid cleaning. Worth every penny.

Clean fridge - quick wipe if needed when I’m clearing out and making a shopping list. Big clean, maybe once a year.

Other stuff:

Hoover under sofas and under sofa cushions - twice a year: once before Christmas when we push the furniture around to put up the tree, and again around April when the light hits a certain angle and shows up the cobwebs.

Sort out freezer/defrost if needed - once a year - usually when there’s a heatwave.

Sort out pantry, look for out of date stuff and wipe shelves - once a year, around October when I buy non perishables

Toy clear out and deep clean play areas - once a year, usually around September when dc go back to school and before Christmas influx.

Top of kitchen cupboards; once a year, change the newspaper on top of cupboards when I put up the Christmas lights (or when I take them down if I’m too busy)

Light switches, skirting boards, handles, balustrades, kitchen chairs, kitchen cabinet doors, internal door panels, light shades, clean car, descale shower, - probably about once a month but they’re on a vague rotation.

Clean bins - weekly

Daily jobs - make bed, air house, empty bins, clean cat litter, dishes,,wipe counters, 5-10 minute tidy, quick pass through bathrooms.

Windows - I have a window cleaner who comes 4 times a year and makes them sparkle. It was a job I hated and struggle to get round to, and I love the difference it makes.

Driveway/patio - power wash and treat for weeds/mould - once a year at start of summer.

I can’t get on with TOMM but it’s an excellent concept if it works for you. I find it very challenging to follow a schedule.

I’ve also tried other systems where you have daily reminders to do particular jobs. It doesn’t work well for me - some jobs are a natural extension of other jobs (like wiping the fridge when you make a shopping list) but I can’t dredge up the energy or enthusiasm to clean the fridge just because an app randomly tells me to.

I don’t really think of the above things as separate jobs, but if I were cleaning the downstairs, I’d tidy, hoover (and dust with hoover), wet clean (mop, wet cloth), straighten, end with bathroom and give toilet a quick scrub. Sometimes I’m more energetic than others and would notice door handles, skirtings, picture frames and glass, window boards and furniture legs, and other times it’s more bare bones. For some reason I find it easier to think in terms of big categories (eg clean up downstairs) than to think about all the little jobs iyswim as that just tires me out.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 17/07/2021 17:28

@Iammum1990

I am surprised how often people clean things... I must be so gross. In my old house I didn't clean the fridge in over a year, and didn't do the oven for two years. I also went weeks without hoovering 😵
I wouldn't worry about it. People are busy, not many people have time to hoover their whole house every day as some people are describing here. I like a nice clean and tidy house but I like my weeekend lie ins and taking it easy on those days much more so some weekends I only do the bare minimum. No one died.